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Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Spent the night in the hospital

So I hit the trails on my mountain bike really hard last night. I wanted to impress my wife, who is an athlete, with my best possible time on a 24KM route that we really enjoy. I was out by myself and going as fast as I possibly could. I got home and was able to take a moment to brag, and then things started to go south. Eventually I collapsed and she had to call 911.

As I lay on the floor in the recovery position try to stay conscious we prayed. The Gospel I preach is the same Gospel that gave me comfort in those moments as we waited for the ambulance to arrive. I can tell you there is no assurance like the assurance that comes from full and complete confidence in the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

The ambulance showed up and they went to work on me... then they took me to the hospital were my wife I spent the night. As I laid there in my emergency room bed I was very uncomfortable, but the man in the next bed beside me was in agony. He was very scared and the pain was wearing him down.

Late in the night/morning he said something that really struck a nerve with me. It scared me. I started to think again about why I share the Gospel with people. Here's what he said to his wife:

"Dear this hurts too much. It hurts too much.... (pause)... OK that's it that's all I can take I can't take any more. We have to get out of here. It hurts too much I have to get out of here."

I wonder if this is what it will be like for those who suffer eternally in the Lake of Fire. Will they say these same words, and mean them, and yet not be able to escape? We have a pure and holy Gospel which offers people salvation from such a unthinkable eternity.

4 comments:

For some people, these are the moments in which they are the most spiritually sensitive. I often think the Lord puts us in situations like this to share the gospel with those whose hearts He is working on.